After a slow start this season, the Minnesota Wild is squarely in the playoff hunt, and owner Craig Leipold says the club's business operations are doing even better.

"We didn't really know what to expect coming out of the lockout, but I'm happy to tell you that the fan support has been nothing short of incredible. … Our business is as good as it's ever been," said Leipold while speaking at the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce's monthly member meeting on Wednesday.

— Ticket sales are "as high as they can possibly be," Leipold said, noting that the Wild's average crowd is exceeding Xcel Energy Center's capacity. (The team ranks 12th in the NHL with average attendance of 18,569, up from from 17,772 last season.)

— The Wild's merchandise sales rank among the top five NHL teams.

— The club has sold more than 2,500 Zach Parise jerseys since he signed with the club on July 4. The previous high for an individual player during an entire season was approximately 530 for Cal Clutterbuck in 2010-11.

— Food and beverage sales are the highest they've been.

— TV ratings are "absolutely out of sight," Leipold said, noting that the season opener set a franchise record.

— Online traffic at wild.com is up 200 percent and generated more hits than any other team on the day the lockout ended.

— The NHL's planned realignment, which will move the Wild from the Northwest Division to the new Midwest Division, will save the club between $800,000 and $1 million in annual travel expenses.

—Leipold says the Wild expects to see a Winter Classic outdoor game played in Minnesota, and "see it very soon." If and when it does happen, he says NBC will probably lead the decision on whether the game would be played at Target Field or TCF Bank Stadium.

— The Wild continue to lobby at the state Capitol for a new practice facility across the street from Xcel Energy Center, and Leipold believes the proposal is starting to gain traction.